Sleep timing linked to increased dementia risk in older adults, study finds
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The timing of your sleep patterns may be linked to an increased risk of dementia, according to a new study.
Each person’s circadian rhythm, often defined as the body’s 24-hour internal clock, ensures that the body operates in a healthy sleep and wake pattern. It also affects other systems in your body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Although most people’s circadian rhythms are automatically regulated, things like light levels can throw them off balance.
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Experts say people with strong circadian rhythms can often stick to normal times for sleep and activity despite schedule or seasonal changes.
With a weaker circadian rhythm, light and schedule changes are more likely to disrupt the body clock, leading to changes in sleep and activity patterns.
Older adults with poorer daily activity rhythms were more likely to develop dementia in later years. (iStock)
The new study, published in the journal Neurology, aimed to investigate whether these impairments play a role in dementia risk in older adults.
Researchers from the Academy of Neurology tracked more than 2,000 people for an average of 12 days to track their rest and rhythm activity.
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Peter O’Donnell Jr. at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. from the School of Public Health. “A novel aspect of our study is that we obtained circadian rhythms from a chest-worn ECG patch commonly used in the clinic,” Wendy Wang told Fox News Digital.
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The average age of the participants was 79 years and none had dementia at the time of the study. They were divided into three groups based on the strength of their circadian rhythms.
In the group with the strongest rhythms, 31 out of 728 people developed dementia, while in the group with the weakest rhythms, 106 out of 727 people developed dementia.
In the new study, ECG patches worn on the chest tracked patients’ circadian rhythms. (iStock)
After adjusting for factors such as age, blood pressure and heart disease, the researchers found that people in the poorest rhythm group had about 2.5 times the risk of dementia.
Researchers identified a possible “U-shaped” relationship between the stability of the sleep-wake cycle and dementia, noting that people with consistently low activity levels may have less stable circadian rhythms.
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People whose activity peaked at 2.15pm or later had a 45% higher risk of dementia compared to those whose activity peaked earlier in the day. About 7% of people in the earlier peak group developed dementia, compared with 10% in the later peak group.
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The study had some limitations. Data on sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing were not available. More research is needed to understand the possible connection, Wang said.
With a weaker circadian rhythm, light and schedule changes are more likely to disrupt the body clock, leading to changes in sleep and activity patterns. (iStock)
The researcher also recommended that people maintain a strong circadian rhythm that is “well aligned” with the 24-hour day.
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“People with strong circadian rhythms generally follow regular sleep and activity times,” he said.
“However, it is important to note that our research does not prove that irregular circadian rhythms cause dementia, only that an association is observed.”
